The burning of the Yule Log originates from before medieval times For centuries, celebrants observed Yule, a festival commemorating the winter solstice The 10th century Norwegian King Haakon Haraldsson made it law that Yule must be celebrated at Christmas When burning yule logs, most families used a tree and first placed the wider end of the trunk into the hearth. During the 12 days of Christmas, families moved the tree further into the fire The first recorded burning of a 'Christmas Log' was in poetry in 1648 A Chocolate Yule Log or 'Bûche de Noël' is a popular Christmas dessert. It's traditionally eaten in France and Belgium, where it’s known as 'Kerststronk' in Flemish. In Cornwall, the log is called 'The Mock' and is burnt as part of the Montol Festival